Letter Carrier’s Mental Stress Problems Not Covered by Workers’ Comp

A letter carrier filed two workers’ comp claims for mental stress. The first was based on job-related pressures; the second on an incident in which a co-worker allegedly grabbed his arm. Both were denied. On appeal, the Tribunal upheld the denials. There wasn’t sufficient evidence to conclude that the carrier suffered from a mental condition resulting from unusual or excessive work-related stressors over time or from a traumatic event. In fact, the worker had a history of psychiatric issues that predated any of the events that he claimed caused his mental condition [WCAT #2010-226-AD & 2010-473-AD, [2011] CanLII 16159 (NS W.C.A.T.), March 24, 2011].